Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen joined the club on a season-long loan deal from Premier League side Bournemouth, becoming Alfred Johansson’s third summer signing.

Paulsen, who was an outfielder in his early years, came through the systems at Eastern Suburbs AFC and Onehunga Sports before moving to Wellington Phoneix in 2018. Here, he began to work through the age groups towards first-team football. In 2021, he made his A-League debut for Phoenix against Sydney FC. As he remained the second-choice keeper, his big chance would come in the 2023/24 season.

He grabbed his chance with both hands and went on to play 29 times for Phoenix, playing every minute of the season as his side finished second in the league. His performances have seen him pick up a number of accolades, including Wellington Phoenix Members’ Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year, Under-23 Player of the Year and A-League Men Goalkeeper of the Year, and he shared the Young Footballer of the Year award with Nestory Irankunda.

That breakout season caught the eye of Premier League side Bournemouth, who brought the shot-stopper to England for a seven-figure fee in the summer of 2024. Although he received his first international call-up for New Zealand back in 2022, that summer would be a special one as Paulsen also earned his first cap for his country against Solomon Islands.

A loan spell with Auckland FC came next to ensure development and playing minutes increased, and there, Paulsen enjoyed more success. He helped set a new Australian football record by going 532 minutes before conceding his first goal. That success continued with Auckland winning the A-League Premiership in their debut season and Paulsen not missing a single minute of action as he was named the A-League Goalkeeper of the Year once again.

Bournemouth looked to allow Paulsen’s development to continue with a loan move to Polish Ekstraklasa side Lechia Gdańsk, where, once again, Paulsen was the first-choice keeper. He played all but four matches in the 25/26 season for Gdańsk.

Paulsen’s international journey has been on an upward trajectory also. Having represented his country at the Olympics in 2024, he is now on eight caps for his country, five of which have come since last October. He was named in the 2026 World Cup squad.